We escape to Da Nang, a popular area of Vietnam to visit for its beachfront, things to do and proximity to other areas like Hue and Hoi An. Take a closer look at our beachfront accommodation, Michelin recommended eats, local food and rooftop dinner with a view.
We arrive late at night to our hotel, the Radisson Red Da Nang, opened in September 2024. While our stay in Phu Quoc was all about the Radisson Blu's upmarket vibe, the Radisson Red sets a modern tone.
A bright red water buffalo stands proud in the lobby - each Radisson Red has a different statue of an animal representing the location. The water buffalo was chosen as this animal supports Vietnamese farmers helping them work their land and is very much a symbol of Vietnam's strength, a point not lost in the flooding that is currently devastating Hoi An and Hue this typhoon season (our visit was in October 2025). In the lobby is a complimentary popcorn machine for guests and we check into our room with a snack in tow.
Our room is on the fourteenth floor of the 24 floor hotel located right on the white sand beach. The hotel's prime location on My Khe beach makes it a popular hotel and they have one main room size at 33 square metres or 335 square feet, slightly larger than other hotels along the beach strip.
The bed is very comfortable with smooth, silky sheets and 2 pillows per person. The shower has excellent water pressure and there is shampoo, conditioner and body wash provided as well as a good amenity kit (BYO body lotion).
There are international power adaptors right next to the bed and USB outlets too. The desk has a phone and international power adaptors and USB outlets too. There is also an international power outlet in the bathroom for hair straighteners or hairdryers.
Each room has its own private balcony and you can choose from an ocean view or a city view.
Tip: during the June and July international fireworks competition, opt for a city view room that will give you a bird's eye view of the fireworks.
While we normally prefer suites for longer stays, there are only 4 suites and they are all booked out. Executive rooms have a coffee machine and cocktail privileges but all of the non suite rooms are pretty much the same layout and size.
The breakfast spread spans across several different areas of the 2nd floor restaurant. On the first day the buffet is decorated in Halloween motifs with decorations and pastries served in coffins.
We start with some some local Da Nang Quang Noodles, a flat rice noodle salad with grilled chicken. I follow this with egg fried rice with caramelised pork belly and grilled chicken with a chilli sate sauce that is fragrant with lemongrass.
Another day we order room service and we order the local breakfast and a continental breakfast which brings us an enormous spread of food, fit for more people! The white baguette is delicious and all of the pastries are made in house. The pho is available with either chicken or beef and it also warming and delicious.
The mezzanine floor above the lobby is where the hotel's coffee lounge is located. You can get a range of barista coffees including an intriguing Orange coffee which is a blend of orange juice, coffee and caramel syrup. We try one and it's surprisingly delicious.
Usually orange juice and coffee are acidic but combining the two with syrup neutralises the acidity creating a smooth drink that is a great option for those wanting an interesting coffee made without milk.
After breakfast Han takes us to Han Market on busy Tran Phu street. The market is open daily from 7am until 7pm. Han takes us through the market showing us everything from fishing nets, jewelry, woven baskets, bags, trinkets and toys. Bargaining is expected with the vendors- a general rule of thumb is to take 40-50% off.
The centre of the market has a range of eateries like that sell items like avocado ice cream, avocado shake and avocado coffee plus of course salted coffee, coconut coffee iced coffee and traditional condensed milk coffee. "Hello coffee!" is a constant refrain in the background from vendors selling a range of foods.
Han buys some fish cakes for us to try. There are two types being sold here: fried and steamed. They hand over a ziplock bag of the fish cakes that we dip into some chilli sauce for a tasty snack.
After the market we head to lunch at Bep Hen - Bep means kitchen while Hen means lucky. The restaurant has been open since 2015 and draws crowds thanks to its inclusion in the Michelin guide.
One wall upstairs is covered in faded photographs from decades ago while a picture of Vietnam's last queen Nam Phương graces one wall. Tip: this restaurant is cash only or bank transfer.
Our food arrives with some unsweetened, chilled green tea. The first item is the braised scad fish with pineapple. This strong flavoured fish is often mistaken for mackerel (indeed, it's the closest flavour comparison) and the strong fish flavour is offset with the fresh pineapple.
We wrap the stubby, crisp spring rolls up in a green mustard leaf and dip them into the nuoc mam sauce for a fresh, crunchy textural bite.
We really enjoy the tomatoes stuffed with small, whole shrimp cooked in a garlicky sauce. Make sure to get some of that sauce for your steamed rice.
The tonkin jasmine flowers are a seasonal vegetable and while they don't smell of jasmine, they're like the tops of broccolini sauteed with copious chunks of garlic with tender crisp flowers.
Mr NQN and I both really enjoy the simple and soothing deliciousness of the seaweed soup with fine tendrils of seaweed, sliced king mushrooms and spring onions. I add some fish sauce and chilli to mine.
After lunch we take a short walk to Magicha Zenbar where a curious black poodle Binh greets customers at the door. This matcha shop and cafe is a serene oasis from the heat and crowds and is a great spot for a mid afternoon pick me up.
Grab a seat by the bar or at the kotatsu table. Owner Hanh Do opened up this store one year ago and they stock more than 20 types of matcha from matcha suppliers all over Japan.
Here the matcha ceremony combines Japanese matcha with condensed milk like Vietnamese coffee. Mr NQN tries the marukyu koyamaen autumn matcha while I try the marukyu koyamaen summer matcha. Both are cold whisked and sweetened with a rose ice cube in a glass or bowl. The autumn matcha has a nuttier flavour to it but both are delicious sipped slowly to savour the flavour.
This evening we head to Blackout Rooftop bar on the Radisson Red Hotel's 25th floor for a wonderful panoramic 360 degree view of the city below as it changes from day to night. Guests at the restaurant can pre-book a menu offering a taste of specialties from all over Vietnam to the classic Banh Mi to Da Nang and central Vietnamese dishes for 799,000VND/$46AUD/$30USD per person. This was one of my favourite meals during our stay in Da Nang.
Each dish comes out in a timely manner and we start with the Banh Khoai crispy mini pancake from Hue in Central Vietnam. Traditionally this is made using fresh fish caught in the morning. This delicious little morsel is eaten with our hands and has a lovely flavour of holy basil.
Bap xao tep or corn is usually a street food. This is eaten in the afternoon after a visit to beach or school and is a popular afternoon snack before dinner. Here it is served in a tart shell instead of in a cup or bowl.
I love banh mi but this gives the classic roll an upgrade as it is served in chewy, warm sourdough baguette filled with crispy pork, pate, coriander and salad.
Xoi (pronounced Soy) is from South Vietnam and is sticky rice served with different toppings like minced pork and quail eggs. This is a food often enjoyed for breakfast found from food truck in front of schools often sold alongside banh mi as the toppings are interchangeable.
Bo Kho is a slow cooked beef tomato stew that is served with bread or glass noodles. They cook the beef with lemongrass to remove the smell of beef. This is tender and slightly sweet.
Banh tieu is a snack from Saigon. These are usually deep fried bread pockets with sesame seeds on the outside with a light sweetness to them. These are popular in Dalat where during winter they are served with hot soya milk for breakfast. Usually they are empty but these are filled with pickled mustard greens, fermented pork roll and coriander and resembles a little burger. This is delicious and although we've had many courses I finish it all.
We are used to southern style Banh Xeo in Sydney but the central Vietnamese version is smaller. This is nice but less crispy and does not come with the standard dipping sauce.
Another central Vietnamese food is the Banh Beo from Hue. These sticky rice cakes are topped with peanuts and a sweet sour sauce. Traditionally these are served with a bamboo stick used to cut each cake into four. Sauce is then added and you use the bamboo stick to pick up and eat each quarter. It comes in either a dry version with shrimp floss in Hue or a wet version seen in Da Nang and Hoi An. This is absolutely delicious and I love the creamy gelatinous texture of the cake with the punch of flavour from the prawns, mushrooms and sauce.
The next course is popular in Hanoi and has deep fried noodles usually served in Pho. This is shaped into a crispy cake and topped with strips of tender beef and crisp strips of water celery. Although I've eaten plenty I can't help but finish this as I love the crispy texture.
The last savoury noodle dish is the Mi Quang soup noodles from Central Vietnam and a classic Da Nang dish. They pour the rich turmeric laden sauce at the table.
It's time for dessert and I am very excited because Banh Troi is one of my favourite sweets. Banh Troi hails from North Vietnam and is a mung bean filled sticky rice balls in coconut and sweet ginger soup. I particularly like the salty and pepper mung bean filling when combined with sweet ginger sauce. This dessert is also the subject of an ancient 1800's poem that is said to depict the tribulations of an ancient Vietnamese woman. Like these balls when cooked in the soup, so goes the life of a Vietnamese woman as she bobs up and down in the water.
So tell me Dear Reader, do you try and eat the local dishes from the area that you are visiting? Would you prefer a city or ocean view room?
NQN and Mr NQN were guests of the Radisson Red Da Nang but all opinions remain her own.
Radisson Red Da Nang
90 Võ Nguyên Giáp, Mân Thái, Sơn Trà, Đà Nẵng 550000, Vietnam
Phone: +84 236 7109 888
www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/radisson-red-danang
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